Angry Youth

Someone who was looking a bit closer at this morning’s Siena poll crosstabs noted that the unfavorable ratings for AG Eliot Spitzer and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, spike dramatically among the 18-34 demographic.

For Spitzer, 24 percent of respondents in that age group said they have an unfavorable opinion of him, while 62 percent said they view him favorably. The split is 27-67 for Clinton.

The reader in question, who has an insider’s view of Democratic politics, wrote the following:

“I could say that the Dem primes are against the war, but that wouldn’t explain Eliot’s number, and it’s not likely they love Suozzi or something.Â

What it suggests to me is that when younger voters (who are least likely to register in a party) do register as Dems, they are much more anti-establishment and angrier then Dems as whole.Â

Now younger voters constitute the smallest segment of the prime electorate and voter attitude changes over time, but it may portend a far more contentious and less establishment driven party going forward.Â